A Brief Moment of Clarity...

"Boxer_4" (Boxer_4)
08/17/2017 at 01:56 • Filed to: None

I have a problem, which I’m sure many of us have; I have trouble making decisions ( especially automotive decisions ). For me, personally, making these kind of decisions gets harder the longer I have to research and think about it.

That couldn’t be more true for me at the moment - everything seems to be falling into place for me to finally realize my goal of owning a fun car/toy/project - which, if all stays on track, should happen in the next ~9 months or so.

Now, I’ve been thinking a lot about this for a while now ( 4+ years now, I think... ), and while I have my ideas ( which is probably worthy of its own post at this point, but I digress ), it seems the closer I get the less sure I feel. This probably has a lot to do with feeling like I need to pick that mythical perfect car, and all that entails - compounded by the fact that I feel like I’ve had all this time to do so.

Where’s this all going, you ask? Well...

If you know me by now, and if not, you can probably guess by the top picture - one of the front-runners is the SVX. Now, while the SVX is an interesting car, it certainly has its flaws and issues. Objectively, you really can’t call it the best choice. However, the other morning, I had a moment of clarity ( as the title suggests ).

On my way into work, while awake and alert, though not really into the morning yet, I see something approaching me in the opposite lane. It’s a Pearl White SVX. I got a good look as it approached, and another good look in my mirrors as it drove past. I was genuinely excited - it made my day - and it made me realize that I still feel that way whenever I see an SVX. That can’t really be said for any of the other cars I’ve considered / am considering. Maybe the SVX is the right choice for me, after all...

I’m sure I’ll be back to doubting myself soon enough, but until then, I’ll remember what a friend of mine told me recently, after we had nearly this same conversation - “You’re probably going to end up with an SVX”

Regardless of how smart an idea it is, he may just be right...

DISCUSSION (35)

Berang > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 02:03

Get the SVX

Steve in Manhattan > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 02:12

A long ago GF had one. I drove it a lot. Auto only, of course, and rather a heavy car. Decent in snow, but at this point, I wonder how difficult it would be to get parts. Don’t know what your budget is, but you might check out a 300ZX from the same era. Better handling (test drove one).

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 02:22

Oh I can definitely relate. One thing you didn’t mention is even if you made the right decision at the time, you’ll still find yourself wondering what the other car you’re contemplating now would be like.

Case in point: I love my BRZ but I still contemplate what a WRX would’ve been like. Or an older STi hatchback. Or that used M3 I wanted. Or that 350z with mods from the savings.

Bytemite > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 02:41

Wouldn’t the SVX be a boxer 6? Get the 2.5 rs coupe for manual

Tristan > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 02:57

The SVX has a very loyal following with a few well known experts. There isn’t much that can go wrong with them that hasn’t been covered. If you shop around, they occasionally show up with manual swaps. They’re a really neat car, and they really soak up highway miles.

f86sabre > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 05:25

You only live once. The worst thing that can happen is you buy it, drive it for a while, feel meh and sell it for what you bought it for. No huge loss

pip bip - choose Corrour > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 06:13

by buying an SVX, you’ll need to change your user name to Boxer_6

RT > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 06:46

Felt the same way after seeing one for sale.

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/subaru/other-models/subaru-svx-4wd-auto/5948169

Plus, after reading this article, I’ve really grown to appreciate it an ambitious showcase of engineering.

http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/25-year-club-subaru-svx/

p33t - wagons 4 lyfe > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 07:21

I’m in the same boat, this is taunting me at the moment

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/subaru/auction-1386649283.htm

Apparently I’m pretty predicable, as each of my mates sent it to me when they found it, only to be told I’d already seen it and was having to stop myself from buying it!

Only thing stopping me is that I already own a WRX and a Legacy so really dont have the room, so if you can store one, go for it, you’ll kick yourself in 10 years when they become REALLY rare and worth $$$$

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 07:58

Trying to be objective when choosing a car for fun/entertainment purposes is silly. You should choose with emotion and throw caution to the wind. If the goal is fun then letting all that other crap get in the way is the opposite of fun. I chose my Miata based on watching an RCR video. Are there better cars out there in every conceivable way? Yeah. But that doesnt matter when I smile every time I drive it.

Just follow your heart and deal with the consequences later, its part of the journey.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 08:37

Same here! Except I can’t see FIAT 126s over here as they don’t exist in Canada :P

BUT, there is one guy here who has two classic FIAT 500s. I’ve seen them ONCE in my lifetime in person outside his ‘garage’ when it was being renovated and the workers had pushed them outside out of the way. I stopped for 5 minutes (I didn’t want to seem creepy) and looked all over them and snapped a few crappy pics with my ancient flip-phone. He never drives them (of all his cars, the only one plated or takes them out of his big museum ‘garage’ (I put garage in quotes as it has a full bathroom, kitchen, and sortof ‘hang-out’ couch area - he also has a Volvo P1800, a classic Mini, a Porsche 356 convertible, like 7 classic Vespas, a Piaggio Ape and a Porsche 911 in there).

These are my pics from 2014:

Kinja'd!!!

Long story short, the first and only time I saw them was 3 years ago and I was ecstatic. I saw them again the other day when he actually had the door wide open. I wish I’d had time to stop in and talk to him and see them up close, but that fleeting glance through the dim garage door made MY day. Good luck finding your dream SVX!

Maxima Speed > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
08/17/2017 at 09:19

A BRZ is in my future, then again I haven’t driven one yet and everybody says they are slow. I’m good with slow as long as it’s still engaging and fun. My Solara V6 is actually fairly quick on curvy roads (with high performance summer tires), but it has no soul, no steering feel, no road feel, no pedal feel, and it’s heavy. Don’t get me wrong the Solara is kind of the perfect road trip and commuter car for me, it’s comfortable, quiet, incredibly reliable, and can maintain mpg’s as high speeds, it’s actually the perfect car for me right now, and I really like it and appreciate it, but I do not love it.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 09:21

Perfect card to buy is the one that moves you.

Personally my list to dream cars include a fourth generation civic, a fox body Mustang, and a Mitsubishi Starion/ Chrysler conquest.

Objectively none of these cars are all that great but the cars that I feel strong about emotionally. To that end last time I was looking for a car I could have bought a Chrysler conquest. However it wasn’t the right choice to make economically(I juuust barely afford it) so I didn’t buy it and I still regret that choice. My gallant VR-4 is a cool car it’s really fun but emotionally I don’t feel the same way about it. Thankfully it’s a very capable and fun car to drive which makes up for the fact that it doesn’t feel as special.

NojustNo > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 11:50

I am just commenting to say the svx is one of my dream cars too. Been tempted several times to grab one. good ones are harder to come by now ( for a price I can swing).

Also DO IT!

rockingthe2 > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 14:38

A good buddy of mine had one, literally, everything is computer controlled and God help you if those computers go bad. Pretty sure he was happy to see it go in the end.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Maxima Speed
08/17/2017 at 16:00

If you want soul and fun you’ll love the BRZ. It’s telepathic in steering compared to most commuter cars. The brake feel is great. The handling is superb from the factory and the feeling of walking up to it every day is sublime. If you want one you should get it. I would recommend a test drive though. It’s rather raw and dailying it isn’t for everyone. I came from a smooth Acura CL (so similar to your Solara).

As for if it’s slow. If you drive it slowly it’ll be slow. If you spank it then it’ll be plenty fast. It’s not ridiculously fast but once you get past 4.5k rpm it’ll pick up speed (and sound) quickly.

Boxer_4 > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
08/17/2017 at 18:40

Surprisingly, I don’t tend to do that nearly as much. If I’m including vehicles my parents chose between ( which, being honest, is the majority of my direct experience in the matter ), the only one that really come up is if we went with an ‘02 Maxima over the ‘01.5 Passat wagon we actually picked up. The Passat was a great car, but I do occasionally wonder what the Maxima would have been like. Plus, I’m sure we would have held onto it longer than the Passat, though, the Passat was traded on the ‘09 Forester which is now my daily, so... lets just say a lot would be different.

Boxer_4 > RT
08/17/2017 at 19:09

I’ve read that article before, and it’s a great piece on the SVX. The SVX was truly a showcase of what Subaru could do at the time. I read somewhere that the engineers at Subaru went into the project with the goal of incorporating everything they knew about building cars at the time. The result was honestly really impressive, considering the first generation Legacy just came out ~2 years earlier, and before that their biggest product was the Leone.

That Swiss Ruby Mica is a lovely color - it’s really a shame we never got it in the US.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 19:55

Woah woah woah. I thought you were one of the older Oppo members. That being said, Maximas are definitely different. A coworker has one and I’ve been in it to get lunch a few times. It’s very Nissan inside. Not bad but it does sort of leave you wanting more.

Boxer_4 > Steve in Manhattan
08/17/2017 at 20:32

The issue of weight doesn’t bother me at all. The SVX has about the same power to weight ratio as the 2010-2014 Outback 3.6R. Having driven a 2012 model a few times, it seemed plenty fast for what I’d be looking for. It may not be the best of the bunch handling wise, but it should still be quite good compared to my ‘09 Forester ( which takes reasonably well to spirited driving ).

A fair number of parts are still fairly easy to get. Others are definitely more difficult. There is some aftermarket support for some big ticket items ( importantly, suspension and bushings ), but these are all things I have been researching and will continue to research.

I’m still trying to nail down my budget, but the 300ZX would probably be within the realm of possibilities. I’ve always like those, too.

Boxer_4 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/17/2017 at 21:24

Well said. That’s something that is often forgotten but should always be remembered.

Steve in Manhattan > Boxer_4
08/17/2017 at 22:24

Yeah - and I think a clean Supra is out of the question at this point.

Boxer_4 > p33t - wagons 4 lyfe
08/18/2017 at 00:51

That’s a nice find! The only concern that I’d have is what manual transmission was used in the swap. The 5-speeds out of the N/A cars aren’t up to the task.

I have the space to park one, and it would probably compliment the Forester quite nicely...

Boxer_4 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
08/18/2017 at 01:02

That’s a good point that I’ll try to remember and follow - the primary goal of a fun car is for it to be fun, and everything else really should take a backseat.

RCR did a video a few years ago on the SVX. I’m not basing my choice on the RCR video, but he was pretty positive on the whole thing.

Boxer_4 > Tristan
08/18/2017 at 01:09

The two forums are a great resource that I’ve been digging into over the last few years. There isn’t much you can’t find on them. As you said, there isn’t really anything new that can go wrong at this point.

The manual swaps are rare, but they do show up. Even rarer are the swaps that use an appropriate transmission, but people seem to be picking better for the more recent swaps.

There’s really nothing out there like an SVX, for better or worse, and I think at this point a unique GT car is pretty much what I’m looking for.

Boxer_4 > pip bip - choose Corrour
08/18/2017 at 01:10

That can be arranged...

Boxer_4 > rockingthe2
08/18/2017 at 01:13

Luckily, working on vintage electronics is a hobby of mine... in fact, I probably have more skills that way at this point than skills actually wrenching ( I’m still building those skills ).

I say bring it on - though, we’ll see how much I regret that decision...

Boxer_4 > f86sabre
08/18/2017 at 01:18

That’s true!

I tend to forget that, coming from a family that tends to hang onto cars for a reasonably long time. The shortest we’ve held onto a car in recent memory is 8 years.

Boxer_4 > Bytemite
08/18/2017 at 01:33

It would be.

I’d consider a 2.5RS, but at this point, I don’t think I could justify one over a WRX - especially since most 2.5RSs are high mileage and in not the best shape.

Plus, the original WRXs are now becoming legal to import, but that’s a whole other can of worms...

Boxer_4 > Berang
08/18/2017 at 01:33

I think I just might!

Boxer_4 > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
08/18/2017 at 01:40

Older in the sense I’ve been here a while, yes ( 8 years this month ). Older in age, definitely not the case ( will be 24 at the end of next month ).

I sort of had the feeling that would be the case on the Maxima. Most Nissans from the era were that way.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Boxer_4
08/18/2017 at 08:10

No matter how vile and offensive RCR is against some cars, I actually am left wanting one after every single video. Some reason just the way he gives every vehicle so much character and personality, it makes me wish to experience it. Haha I also had other more valid reasons but I like to think that video inspired me beyond just looking at the specs on paper of everything else. I needed a non-logical emotional reason to choose.

f86sabre > Boxer_4
08/18/2017 at 09:59

I’m the same way. We’ve had our Evo since 2002 and our Mini since 2005. I have a classic Mini on a ship to suprise my wife with the notion that at the worst we can have some laughs for a year or two, but we will probably have it for a long while.

rockingthe2 > Boxer_4
08/18/2017 at 13:07

Fair enough, his handle here is @Scimitar7 though he isn’t on much.

Boxer_4 > Steve in Manhattan
08/22/2017 at 21:22

I think MkIII Supras can still be found for around that price if you look hard enough. I like that generation of Supra, too, though they do have head gasket issues ( easily solved though ).